Sharing is Caring
by GhS911
Summary: There are always lessons that you learnt as a child that you can revisit as an adult.
1. Chapter 1

Bokuben is a work of fiction written and owned by TsuiTsui

* * *

**0: The Beauty Reminisces about [x]**

Predictions have always been a fascinating concept to me. Strip the concept down and it should all boil down to a complex set of probabilities working in tandem to convince someone that something will or should happen. The problem with predictions is that no matter how high the probabilities you calculate, no matter what factors or failsafe you put into place, there was always that miniscule chance that you were wrong. And if you were working with a dynamic system, well, you better have a notebook, a calculator, and some coffee ready; it's going to be a long night. In the end, sometimes you're right and sometimes you're wrong.

It's probably why making predictions about my own immediate future is something that I do quite a lot actually. It used to be a fun little game I played when I was a child. My parents humoring me as I pretended to be this big bad, mystical, all-seeing psychic whenever something moderately similar to my predictions came to pass. But as I grew older and my interests towards astronomy became more concrete and sometimes all-consuming, it became a good way to unwind after I got fed up with all the math I had to do.

I love you math, but sometimes you drive me up the wall.

Oh, but that's another topic entirely, where was I again? Right, predictions. Sometimes my predictions were realistic, sometimes they were a little more fantastical. Truthfully though, I just like having my expectations subverted. It hadn't always been for the better, but for the most part… I have a lot of good memories to smile about today.

If you'd asked me where I thought I'd be in the near future on the first day of my final year in high school, I would have predicted weeping over a calculus textbook and having a brain meltdown. Turns out I was wrong. After all, if you'd asked me that question six months later, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from beaming and said in a university studying astronomy.

Ask me again a year later and I would have had a total 180 in my attitude. With tears in my eyes, I would have said in the university library studying until they dragged me out kicking and screaming. But sometimes, even if my predictions were technically correct, they didn't always end in the way I thought it would. After all, I walked out of there much earlier with little to no fanfare. A smile on my face as I held a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and my precious person's hand in the other.

Fast forward a few years. If you asked me where I'd be in the near future two years ago, I would have said at the altar, blushing my socks off. I will always be grateful that I was right about this one. And if you asked me again only a day after, I would have smiled and said it was my secret to keep.

And if you asked me where I'd be in the near future two years after that, or about a week ago really, I would have said probably cuddling on the couch with my husband. Finally relaxing after moving everything we owned back into my childhood home as we lamented the despicableness of paperwork in our respective occupations.

Well, again I wasn't technically wrong. Tonight, we were on the couch, or couches per se, but we weren't exactly cuddling.

Sitting across from me was my husband, his elbows on his knees and his chin rested on folded hands as he contemplated my request. Yuiga Nariyuki, a name I was more than familiar with and held dear with all of my heart. He was 25 now, about 8 years after I first met him on that fateful day in high school. A little taller, a little more built, and a lot less dense, but his eyes remained ever so kind and gentle.

He continued to stare at me for what seemed like years. I honestly felt a little bad because my request was surely something he could have never imagined to hear from my mouth, but I was resolute and sincere in my words so I continued to meet his gaze without hesitation.

The staring match ended in my victory as he broke away first. Unfolding his hands, he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Slumping, he released a long sigh before asking, "Are you really sure about this, Fumino?"

"Yes." No, not really, but I wanted this.

Nariyuki remained silent for a moment, his gaze returning to meet mine in search of something. Sincerity? Honesty? I don't know what exactly he was looking for, but after all this time, I knew he could read me better than anyone else could.

"If you're sure, Fumino." A small smile finally appeared on his lips and I felt relief wash all over as I returned it in spades. He stood up from the couch and began approaching my side, his feet a little hesitant but his posture confident in its gait. I was elated, this was going to happen. All of my planning was finally paying off.

Beaming, I turned to the person sitting beside me. She was covering her face with her hands, futilely trying to mask the pink practically growing all over her by the second. Standing up, I gently pulled her to follow as well, forcing her to abandon her weak attempt at concealing her blush. No matter, she could blush all she wanted, but she was fooling nobody with how high the corners of her lips were rising.

Takemoto Uruka, gold-medalist Olympic swimmer, and one of Japan's most eligible bachelorettes. With her excitable attitude and almost deific smiles, she inspires a new generation of swimmers to reach for the stars. Well, at least that's what the media describes her as. To us, to me, she is a dear friend.

Tonight though, tonight she was something a little special.

The years had been good to Uruka. She was always beautiful, but these days it almost seemed like she was cheating reality itself. With her longer hair in an almost constant ponytail, and well-toned but shapely physique, she was the epitome of 'athletic beauty'; the distinctive tan she always had also continued to give her an exotic appeal. Without lifting a finger, she could probably make most women feel inadequate in a heartbeat.

With a small niggling feeling of pettiness, I pushed her into the arms of my husband with a little more force than necessary. I smiled, she seemed to be enjoying the feeling of having him catch her though, so I felt no need to apologize.

I watched as he put a hand under her chin, slowly lifting it up for her to meet his gaze. It was somewhat reminiscent of something out of a bad romance drama, but to Uruka It was probably something out of her best dreams.

He leaned down and kissed her. A little hesitantly at first as she simply stood there like a deer in headlights, yet it wasn't long before she returned his actions with vigor. Standing on her tip toes, she leaned forward, snaking her arms around his neck to deepen the embrace.

I could feel something begin to ache within me at the sight. A small fire almost ironically growing into an unstoppable blaze as I felt something begin to drip down the side of inner thigh. My heart thumped erratically and my breath began to hitch. Moving myself forward, I couldn't help but lick my lips.

Coming up behind Uruka, I rounded my arms around her waist. I could feel her stiffen momentarily before relaxing and leaning back slightly so I could feel her firm derrière in its entirety. For a brief moment I wondered just how exactly she never won my husband's heart, but it wasn't long before I ceased to care anymore.

Leaning over her shoulder, I placed my lips on her neck and bit down; not hard enough to leave a mark but definitely enough to feel. She broke her kiss and hissed lightly. I lessened my grip in response and began to slowly move towards her ears with soft nips and licks. It wasn't long before she began to moan.

Feeling emboldened by her reaction, I smirked and moved one my hands higher until I found one of her breasts. Surprisingly though, my fingers felt something else as well. Even hidden under her clothes, I could feel it clearly. It was completely different from my own, large, tall, and stiff, yet entirely pleasant to the touch; a most beautiful oxymoron in my book.

Naughty, naughty girl, going around with no bra in the house of another's husband. Someone like this should be punished, so I squeezed and began to twist. Her moans increased in volume and pace in turn, movements wildly squirming as I tightened my other arm around her waist. Her breaths regularly blowing hot air into my ear.

Not wishing for my dear husband to feel left out, I somehow found his hand in this mess of bodies and practically shoved it into her other breast. Silently demanding that he mirror my actions on the unattended sister of Uruka's mountainous pair.

Like the gentleman that he is, he quickly complied with dexterous hands. She practically screamed, her voice echoing across the halls of the house as we continued our ministrations. In an attempt to stifle her voice, she bit hard into his shoulder.

I could see Nariyuki grimace, but he diligently continued. His movements slowly but surely coming into rhythm with mine. Leaning further forward, I kissed deeply him as a reward, bringing my tongue along as it sought to meet his.

At this point, I was absolutely drenched, my shorts stained as I felt liquid drop to the floor in increasingly short intervals. It wouldn't take a genius to know that Uruka was in a similar position as well, and it would take an even bigger fool to not realize that my husband was probably on his way to ripping apart and losing a pair of pants.

Never in the history of even the oldest galaxy in the universe would I have ever predicted this to be a situation I found myself, let alone last week. Then again, I do love having my expectations subverted.

To think this all began with a phone call…

* * *

**You were expecting fluff. But it was me, smut.**


	2. Chapter 2

**1: Mermaids Dream about [x] Pt.1**

_7 Days Before Incident X…_

Closing the door behind me with a tired slam, I dropped my bag on the floor and groaned loudly. Today was assessment day for the research team, and presenting your findings to a panel of board members who essentially controlled all of your funding for the next few years was always a stressful task that no one wanted to do. Yet, much to my complete and utter dismay, it was one that I had somehow found myself volunteered for.

Who knew that falling asleep in the middle of team meetings was a bad idea? Me. That's who!

To my growing frustration, my feeble foot flicks were not enough to provide my toes with sweet release from these god-forsaken heels. Grunting in an unladylike manner, I sat myself down on the floor of my home's entranceway and fiddled away at the straps. After a few moments of desperate struggling, my toes finally regained the ability to wiggle freely. Be free little ones.

Releasing a massive sigh of relief, I laid down with a thud. Although one predicament was solved, my immediate actions resulted in another quickly taking its place. I found myself too tired to stand up. The floor was much too comfortable, and lazing around on it seemed to be the infinitely more comfortable alternative. Closing my eyes, I could feel myself beginning to doze off.

Who knows how long I laid there for, but it was the rhythmic sounds of soft footsteps that brought me back to the land of the living. Turning my head slightly, I could see the approaching form of my husband; dressed in an apron, he had a soft smile on his face and a soup ladle in hand.

"Wouldn't a bed or even a couch be more comfortable, Fumino?"

I kept my eyes closed and torso still. My only response to his question being my arms sluggishly outstretched in his direction.

"You can't be serious?"

I pouted, outstretching my arms a little further and wiggling them in emphasis.

I heard him sigh, but it wasn't long before I could feel an arm around my shoulders and the other around the backside of my lower thigh. He was a little unsteady at first, my body swaying as I was lifted off the ground, but I felt no fear. He was never going to let me fall.

Shifting slightly, I nuzzled into his chest. I could smell an almost overpowering assortment of spices from him, yet I could still somehow find the distinct traces of ink and chalk. It was an odd combination, but I took comfort in its familiarity.

Sniff. Sniff. Huh, it seems we're having my favorite curry for dinner tonight. In response, I simply smiled and nuzzled deeper into his chest.

* * *

Finally putting the last plate back in its proper place, I closed the cabinet and stretched out my arms. It was always an uphill battle getting Nariyuki to share any chores with me when we were both home, but I somehow convinced him to let me clean up after dinner tonight. Even after all these years, I still couldn't cook anything more complicated than instant noodles on my own, and I must've ruined at least a metric ton of ingredients trying to surprise him with dinner one evening, so I always felt bad whenever he took charge of everything related to meals. Hence, dish duty and cleanup duty was my domain, his insistence to the contrary be damned in my book.

Never mind that though, I should probably think of a way to reward him for his efforts instead. I was still a little fatigued, but between my favorite meal and very pleasant company, I was in a much, much better mood thanks to him.

I licked my lips. Hmmm… he was probably in the bath right now, and I couldn't deny that some mischievous part of me (correction: all of me really) would be unopposed to joining him. No, I quickly threw away those thoughts. I'll do something similar later. After, I fixed the fact that my hair was sticking out in a billion ways and the fact I smelled slightly of sweat. Wait, didn't I still have that piece of lingerie that Auntie Shopkeeper recommended me?

Before I could contemplate the idea further though, I was abruptly brought out of my thoughts by my phone. Sitting on the countertop, it vibrated and began to play the simple jingle I kept as a ringtone. Walking over to it, I was surprised to see an American number displayed on it.

I wondered, who could it possibly be? It couldn't have been my father since I registered his new numbers in my contact list the moment he moved to Massachusetts. Then again, perhaps he was calling from his office at MIT? The time difference would be about right.

Picking it up, I hesitantly answered in somewhat fluent English, "_Hello, this is Yuiga Fumino speaking._"

To my surprise though, rather than the monotone and usually awkward voice of my father, I was instead cheerfully greeted by a much more feminine voice. "_Fuminocchi, how's it going?_"

"Uruka!" I said in Japanese. Fluent as she was now in a number of languages, Uruka still preferred her native tongue in private conversations. "I'm fine, thank you. How are you doing? Are you still in Colorado?"

"I'm great, thanks. About Colorado though, kind of…" she trailed off. It wasn't hard for me to imagine her scratching her cheek as she spoke. It was a bad habit of hers we all tried to stop with little to no avail. 'The U.S. Training center is cool and all, but I'm actually heading home."

"Really? You're coming home?" I said excitedly. "You have to come visit sometime!"

"Ehhehhee…" she chuckled before trailing off again. I furrowed my eyebrows slightly. Something was bothering her. Uruka was always an open book, but this was a little too obvious. Her usual high-energy tone was more subdued, masked by something I couldn't exactly put my finger on. Before I could investigate further though, Uruka found her words once more, "Actually, funny story."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow in response. "Do tell."

"See. When I bought the tickets a while back, I thought I could head home and stay at my parent's place for a little vacation. But after a few minor events-"

I really don't like the way you said minor, Uruka.

"-and other things, I thought I could stay in Japan for a little bit longer. You know, to remember my roots and all that! So well, nothing should have changed all that much, except a really tiny detail," she said and then paused.

Awkward silence descended upon us as the other end of my phone when silent. I could practically see her playing with her hair and staring at her feet in an attempt to stall. Gods, even after all these years, you're still acting like a maiden, Uruka. I sighed, this was going nowhere if I didn't push it forward. "So, what's the little detail, Uruka?"

She floundered for a moment, 'Ummms' and 'Aaahs' being the common defaults that she fell back on. Before finally, she blurted out, "MyparentsmovedtoOkninawaandItotallyforgotandIreallyneedaplace-tostaysocouldIpleasepleasepleasestayatyourhouse?"

"I'm sorry?" I blinked quickly a couple times, unsure of what I just heard. "Take a deep breath." I could hear her deeply inhaling through the phone in response. "Now breathe…. and now, repeat."

"Ehehe, sorry. My parents moved to Okinawa a few months ago, and I completely forgot. I kind of reeeally need a place to stay, so I was hoping you could put up with me for a while?" she asked, her voice almost too quiet to hear at the end.

I just burst out laughing in response. Not the quiet chuckling that my colleagues politely do, or the lady-like snorts that some of women on the board of directors do, but full-blown, stomach-hurting guffawing. In my defense, I couldn't help it; you are just too cute, Uruka.

"Hey!" she whined, though I could scarcely hear her over my laughter. Though I did, so it just sent me into further hysterics. "No need to mean. I know you just moved back into your old house with Nariyuki, so its kind off a busy time, so if you want to say no, then it's okay." Gods, I can even **hear** her pouting.

Wiping the tears coming out of my eyes, I quickly stifled my laughter. "Sorry. Sorry. Of course, you can stay with us. For as long as you'd like actually. We have plenty of rooms here, so I don't mind. If anything, I'm overjoyed to have a good friend over. Yuki will definitely feel the same way too."

There was a little pause before she replied, "Really? Thanks, Fumino. Hope you still feel the same way after all of this is done."

* * *

_6 Days Before Incident X…_

Getting out of the yellow sedan we drove to the airport, I could feel the humid air assault my skin immediately. It was late in the afternoon, but the sun remained prominent in the sky so it was incredibly warm. Perfect sunhat and sundress weather, just as I predicted.

Summer was coming, and it was going to be a hot one.

I turned back to see Nariyuki carefully making sure the car was still in pristine condition. I simply rolled my eyes at the sight. The gaudy thing was actually a college graduation gift from my father to him; incredibly surprising, and very expensive, so it was no wonder that my husband was a little too attentive of it, especially considering how rarely we use it.

Between the car as a graduation gift and the house as a very belated wedding gift (at least that's what it was said to be when we received it), I wasn't sure if father was just really happy that his daughter found someone that could deal with her for the rest of her life or overcompensating for the many birthdays he's missed. At some point, I've just resigned myself to never being able to fully fathom his actions. To be fair though, was there ever a child who truly fathomed the actions of their parents?

Tapping my foot a little impatiently, it only took a single look before my husband got the message. Smiling sheepishly in response, he rubbed the back his head and made his way to the trunk of the car. Popping it open, he pulled out a sign we made together to welcome Uruka back. It had an image of her in chibi form swimming with an assortment of happily smiling sea creatures. It was far from true to life, and little rough around the edges due to it being a rush job (Uruka always had a knack of leaving things to the last minute sometimes, so it was the best we could do with such short notice), but I personally thought it was really cute.

Extending my hand out, he naturally took it in his as he got beside me, and then we simply… walked.

As the years go by and the time I spend with him increases, I start to realize that it was the really quiet parts of our relationship that I appreciated. The grandiose confessions and proposals always got my heart pumping, the big celebrations we had together always made me smile, and none can deny that the sex made everything right in the world, but it was the quiet moments that really set my heart at ease. Cheesy and cliché as it is, it was fact in my mind.

I could feel him stiffen in surprise before quickly relaxing as I leaned on his shoulder, my free arm wrapping around his arm as I pulled him closer. Shifting slightly, I got on my tiptoes and brushed my lips across his cheek.

He paused and so did I. Turning to look at me, he raised an eyebrow questioningly. To which, I merely grinned. It seemed like a good enough of an answer for him as he simply returned my grin with one of his own. "I'm guessing you're a little excited to see Uruka?"

"Yup." I tugged him forward gently to restart our walk to the terminal. "It's been a while since we saw each other in person. We can get the whole group back together again. A festive little reunion would be fun, don't you think?"

"Definitely. Just as long as I'm not the only one planning for it," he said with a chuckle.

"There's no need to worry. I'll be helping, you big baby." He poked me in the side in response, eliciting a giggle from me. "I predict it's going to be fun."

He huffed and smiled. "I'm sure it will be."

* * *

Being a woman of average height, it was more than little difficult to look for someone in a crowd. I was more likely to find the back of someone's head rather than the person of interest, and even if I was well aware of this fact, it didn't prevent me from being annoyed by it. In cases such as these, I was incredibly grateful that Nariyuki was more vertically gifted than myself.

"Do you see her?" I asked him. My feet were getting tired, and trying to look in-between people's heads was something I found to be an incredibly ineffective method.

"No- Wait," he squinted for a moment, but then his eyes widened, "I do." Raising his arms to bring the sign we had as high as possible, he yelled, "URUKA! OVER HERE!"

Rotating myself to look in the same direction as him, I was at first unable to find any trace of my friend. But, it wasn't long before I noticed a distinct strand of antennae-like hair emerging from the crowd. I smiled at the sight. Turning to my husband, I said, "We should move to a less crowded spot."

He nodded in agreement. Keeping the sign up, we moved deftly away from the crowd until we found a spot we could actually breathe in. Waving my arm excitedly in the air, I promptly took over for my husband and began calling out to her, "URUKA!"

I continued my efforts diligently, and was soon rewarded as she finally escaped the crowd. Her exit was more than a little unsteady, and I was unsure if she was going to trip or not. Both of us rushed forward in response, seeking to prevent her from acquainting her face with the carpet.

The media likes to describe Uruka as a graceful mermaid whenever they can. But, what most people forget is that the most probable explanation for mermaids are, Manatees. Cute creatures, always one of my favorite exhibits to visit at an aquarium, but they were far from the textbook definition of graceful. Point is, Uruka was sometimes the latter rather than the former. I would never tell her that, but it's a thought that I couldn't dislodge from my brain after its inception one random afternoon.

Reaching her first, I brought her into a big hug. I seemed to have caught her by surprise judging from her momentary stiffness, but she quickly returned my actions with enthusiasm. I squealed. She squealed. In the end, I'm quite sure we both lost an eardrum.

Pulling back slightly, I smiled widely and said, "It's so good to see you again. It feels like forever since we last saw you!"

"I know! A whole year is definitely too long. It's great seeing you guys too. I got a lot of souvenirs by the way."

I laughed. "They better be expensive."

"Very expensive snacks, Fuminocchi," she intoned with a wink.

"Have I ever told you that you're my best friend?"

We paused momentarily, though quickly devolving into fits of laughter shortly thereafter. "Don't let Rizu hear you say that," she said in-between giggles, "You'd make her cry."

"And no wants that. An inconsolable Rizu is a difficult one," a masculine voice replied beside me. Ah, it seems Nariyuki finally caught up with us. "But, stop spoiling my wife, Uruka. If I didn't know better, I think you're trying to steal her away from me."

Breaking our hug, Uruka gasped at the sight of my husband. She was shocked still, mouth opening and closing silently. But her stillness passed quickly enough, and she leapt forward with arms outstretched.

He caught her easily enough with a laugh, wrapping his arms around her waist for a hug. To my slight surprise though, rather than doing the same, Uruka wrapped her arms around his neck to complete the embrace. I quirked an eyebrow. It was a somewhat odd sight all things considered, but the Americans were much freer with their gestures of physical affection, and Urukua always picked up cultural habits quickly wherever she went, so I let it go.

Walking forward, I picked up Uruka's luggage case before she could forget it. We all knew what she was like. Luckily for me, it was a small rolling one, so even a person with noodle arms such as myself could get it moving. Pulling on the handle, I turned around.

To my growing astonishment, I was greeted by the sight of them still in the same position. Okay. Well, not exactly. My husband was looking increasingly more uncomfortable by the second, as if unsure on what exactly he was supposed to do. His eyes darted left and right until they finally met mine, pleading for some sort of instruction.

Surprise quickly melted into mirth as I laughed internally at the sight. It had been years since he'd asked me for any kind of advice about the intricacies of a woman's heart (at least, other than my own). Feeling a little mischievous, I merely smirked and shrugged my shoulders in response.

He pouted.

Deciding that I've had enough fun at his expense, I sought to tap Uruka on the shoulder. Arriving behind her with luggage in hand, I raised my hand to her arm but suddenly froze at the sound of her voice.

"I'm home." It was scarcely above a whisper, so I was rather unsure if I even heard that properly. I raised an eyebrow at my husband, hoping he could provide some insight. Unfortunately, he simply returned my questioning gaze with one of his own. At least that implied that he heard the same thing I did.

In an attempt to dispel the growing awkwardness (go Nariyuki!), he gently patted Uruka on the back and replied, "Welcome home. Glad to have you back."

Even without seeing her face, I could easily tell that Uruka was beaming from these simple words. "Thanks, Nariyuki." She released her hold on him. Turning towards me, she smiled gratefully and took her luggage handle. Striding forward towards the exit, she called out to us, "Now c'mon. I'm guessing you guys bought your car right? Is it alright if we get something to eat? The airline food was a little on the 'yuk' side, if you know what I mean."

Watching her walk away for a moment, I shared a brief look with my husband before following after her. I felt my stomach grumble and flip in ways that it hadn't done since high school, but I quickly suppressed it. I had a good friend back, and I wasn't about to waste any time with her. After all, it was probably nothing.

…

Right?

* * *

**You were expecting lemons, but it was me, floof.**


	3. Chapter 3

**2: Mermaids Dream about [x] pt.2**

_6 Days Before Incident X…_

I honestly felt rather jealous right now. I didn't show it outwardly, but I was most definitely grumbling about it internally. Why? Well, let me explain.

Following the petite hostess who guided our little posse deftly through the narrow openings between tables, chairs, and patrons towards the only available table they had left in this diner was something I found to be a bit of a challenge. She moved so easily through this deathtrap that I couldn't help but admire her grace. On the other hand, I've already had to rebalance myself multiple times as I almost tripped over my fifth- damnit, make that sixth errant chair leg. This was incredibly embarrassing, who in the history of the world ever got bruised shins from visiting a restaurant?!

For god's sake, she was wearing heels too, and she had... more generous proportions than me. How was she able to avoid everything in her path?! Please share some of that grace with me before I inevitably fell flat on my face. Thankfully though, we were finally able to reach our designated table.

Giving us a smile, she then placed our menus on the table, and shortly thereafter, walked back into that deathtrap. Honestly, I saluted you, ma'am. Your swaying hips and light feet were now something I shall strive to match one day—

"You've been staring at her for a while, Fumino. Should I be worried?" Nariyuki whispered into my ear, firmly interrupting my thoughts.

I reddened slightly in response, unable to provide him with an immediate answer as I stuttered. Whether it was from the underlying implication of his words, surprise, or the fact that my ears were rather sensitive, it was embarrassment all the same. After regaining my bearings though, I lightly smacked his chest with the back of my hand. "Don't be a perv."

He chuckled. "You didn't deny that you were staring," —I rolled my eyes at him— "I think she was giving an extra sway at the end to impress you."

I scoffed and said, "I don't believe that to be true at all."

"Oh?"

I smirked. Time to remind him that I was the teaser in this household. "I'm rather sure her eyes lit up the moment she saw you," I said confidently, emphasizing each of my words for maximum sweetness. Excellent, he was blushing now. "In fact, I'd go as far as to say she was flirting with you while we were waiting for a table, right before your dear wife too." Turning away from him, I covered my eyes with my arm. "Oh woe is me, the sweet man I married has turned into an absolute cad. What shall I ever do now?"

Turning completely red, he spluttered, "Fumino, I'd never-"

I burst into a fit of giggles at his response, and to my growing amusement, I could see Uruka in the corner of my eye doing the same. Gods, he was too cute sometimes. "What'd you think, Uruka? Should I forgive him?"

She waved her hand lazily. "Wait-wait, give me a moment," she got out in between fits of laughter.

"Take your time," Nariyuki deadpanned beside me. Much to my husband's exasperation though, his reply only seemed to drive her into further fits of laughter.

Recovering, Uruka then took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eye. With complete conviction, she revealed her judgment flatly, "I recommend a divorce. The marriage is unsalvageable."

I let out a bark of laughter. "Guess we're done for, Yuki-kunnn."

Shaking his head, my husband dropped his head into his hands. "Geez… should've never introduced any of you to Asumi."

Feeling completely vindicated now, I halted my dramatics with a smile. Patting one cheek lightly, I quickly kissed the other. "Relax. We're kidding. I know you'd never do something like that."

Nodding energetically in agreement, Uruka's head moved up and down at what was practically the speed of a jackhammer in my book, she said, "Yup, you're a good guy, Nariyuki."

Feeling that we've probably been standing around long enough, I pushed him lightly into our corner booth, urging him to sit. Pointing to his other side, I signaled for Uruka to sit down as well. After some shuffling and awkward meeting of elbows, we were all finally settled down into our seats. It was a little bit of tight squeeze as we all sat shoulder to shoulder, especially for my husband who was between the both of us, but we couldn't exactly complain. After all, it was the only table we could get considering how packed the place was on the weekends.

"Ya know. It's great to see that your guys' dynamic hasn't changed all that much."

I paused. Turning away from my menu, I raised an eyebrow curiously at Uruka. "Oh?"

"Yup, how do I put this…" She began tapping her chin with a finger in thought. "It's really reassuring. Like even after all this years, it's nice to know that no matter how our situation changes, some of the important things in about us don't necessarily have to change along with it." She then paused, and rubbed the back of her head with a chuckle. "Does that make any sense?"

Smiling, I said, "It does."

"I agree. Though, when did philosophy became something you ever paid attention to?"

"Nariyukkkiii," Uruka whined. "You don't have to be so meeaann."

I turned back towards my menu in amusement. Being the magnanimous wife that I was, I'll sit out on the sidelines for now. Yuki had to recover some his ego somehow, and Uruka seemed to enjoy the teasing banter anyway.

Humming and hawing, my hands absentmindedly flipped through the colored pages of food and snacks. I wasn't particularly hungry, but it would've been rude to deny Uruka's pleas for food. Especially after her surprisingly passionate argument on why airplane food was not considered 'real' food.

I was still of firm belief that food was food, but even I was moved a little by the sheer emotion she displayed. My husband though, being the big softie that he was, adhered to her request easily. He was always such a sucker for a sweet face. I'm sure that was the one thing every member of our friend group could agree upon. Gods, if we ever had a daughter, I was probably going to have to be the bad guy in every confrontation as she ran crying to dear ol' dad.

I shook my head and pushed down my blush, those last bits were most definitely thoughts for another day.

Only a short detour away on the route home from the airport, this local diner we decided upon was actually an old favorite for all of us, though less for the quality of food and more for nostalgia's sake these days. Not to brag, but the quality of food that Nariyuki cooked these days was undoubtedly much higher. Bless my sister-in-law's tutelage, regardless of how she still glared at me whenever she visited.

Turning slightly, I could see in the corner of my eye how Nariyuki and Uruka were interacting, laughter and banter shared easily across a variety of quickly shifting topics as they enjoyed each other's company. It was a little surreal actually, as the scene before me reminded me more of an old picture rather than reality.

Hah. I guess Uruka really did hit the nail on the head. Circumstances changed, but people didn't necessarily have to as well.

Finally finding a gap in their conversation, I interjected with a smile, "Any ideas of what to pick?"

Nariyuki gave me a thoughtful look before shaking his head. "I would be up for a snack, but aside from that, I don't have anything particular in mind. Anything you choose would be fine, Fumino."

I nodded. It was no surprise actually, he was always like this. Turning towards our close friend, I asked, "What about you, Uruka? Don't worry about the price by the way, it's our treat."

She froze for a moment, before quickly shaking her head and hands. "No, no, no. I can't accept that. You guys are already helping me with so much-"

"Uruka," Nariyuki interrupted promptly. "Don't worry about it, you're our guest and we're happy to do it."

I nodded beside him in a show of solidarity. "He's right. Besides, it'd be rude to reject hospitability, right?" For a few moments it looked as she was going to continue protesting, but she eventually reluctantly relented after some further pestering from my husband and me.

"Thanks for the meal then." Pausing for a moment, Uruka then smirked. "Things really haven't changed. Individually, you're both really pushy. But together, you're both so much worse."

"Hey!" My husband bellowed indignantly from beside me.

I simply laughed. Guess she got the last word in this time.

* * *

Regardless of the fact that we finished our meal and had the plates cleared away some time ago, we remained seated in our booth. Slowly taking sips out of the last remnants of our various drinks, we continued catch up with each other. We talked, joked around, laughed, and were definitely a little too loud at times. The typical result whenever a group of friends got together.

Luckily, I got the feeling that the staff didn't really mind too much. The lunch rush had long since passed now, and I was completely sure that a few of them got some kicks out of the embarrassing stories they heard slices of whenever they 'accidentally' passed by. After all, the smirks were none too subtle.

'Fact. Humanity had an insatiable and uncontrollable love of gossip,' Kirisu-sensei had once mentioned to my husband, and then him to me.

It was somewhat understandable though, Uruka most definitely lived an exciting life. Her stories varied from downright hilarious to surprisingly heartfelt. The people she's met and the places she's been to as a professional athlete were awe-inspiring to hear; I couldn't even imagine what it would've been like to be there in person.

Then again, unless we were flying into space, I personally preferred being close to home. I didn't mind travelling and seeing new places every once in a while, but the constant moving around would probably exhaust me. In addition, she was constantly hounded by coaches and the media as well. The very idea of that sent a shiver down my spine. I would go insane if I had someone constantly badgering me about my every action.

To be fair though, Uruka did admit to being rather haggard more often than not on her travels. I suppose a job was a job no matter the setting. I loved my job, and so did my husband, but that didn't prevent the rare moments where we wanted to do nothing more than slap our superiors with a resignation letter.

"—and then, then, she just screamed '_OH MA GAWD! WHAD'A YA MEAN THAT WASN'T CANDY?!_'"

I laughed out loud, tightly gripping my husband's shoulder with both hands lest I fall out of my seat. Gods, her teammates were hysterical. "Stop, stop. Please, stop… hahahaha-ehahah.. Uruka, my stomach is hurting."

Taking off his glasses, Nariyuki wiped away the tears of sheer amusement that were beginning to form around his eyes. "How are ANY of you considered adults?"

"Probably because none of our parents could deal with us seven days a week anymore." Uruka replied promptly. We all shared another round of laughter at that. Perhaps it was a little cynical of me, but Uruka's explanation was probably true on some level.

"Speaking of parents, how are yours doing by the way? Fumino mentioned that they moved away?"

"They're great. Talked to them recently, everything's a-okay. They're getting settled into their new home in Osaka."

Osaka? Wait—

Uruka then turned towards me. Smiling, she asked, "How about your dad, Fuminocchi? How's he handling Massachusetts?"

"Oh— He's fine. Last time I spoke to him, he's enjoying the work he's doing, claimed that it was groundbreaking."

Nariyuki whistled. "I wouldn't be surprised knowing him."

"He's not here, so you don't have to suck up to him so much, Yuki."

"Maybe not him himself, but rather someone close to him. I visited the campus a few months ago for an event and saw him with some woman. You might have to start calling someone mother-in-law soon enough." Uruka said nonchalantly with a smirk, lazily pointing a straw at my husband.

I nearly chocked on drink as she finished speaking. Luckily though, I was still able to push it down. Shaking my head, I looked down and began stirring my drink with a straw. "Father told me about her. She's part of his research group. A little younger than him and very much in love with mathematics." I sighed. "He turned her down."

Feeling a hand close around one of mine, I smiled appreciatively at my husband. He'd heard this story before and very much shared my frustration. What my father was doing was not exactly healthy.

"Oh." Uruka looked between before shifting her eyes downwards towards her glass. "Sorry about bringing it up then."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I'm just a little concerned." I took a deep breath and explained, "My father absolutely refuses to move on. I love my mother from the bottom of my heart, and she will always be an inspiration to me, but what my father continues to do, even with all of the progress he's made, is not something I'd like to continue seeing. I don't expect him to move on quickly or easily, but I'd like for him to at least give it a chance."

"—sympathize with that."

"Sorry?"

"No. Nothing." Uruka replied back with a shake of her head. "Just thinking out loud."

There was a bit of silence between us as conversation died, broken occasionally only by the sounds of someone taking a sip out of their drink. It felt like the entire place was muted, as if all of the cheer beforehand was nothing but a lie.

"I'm sure it'll be fine in the end, Fumino," said Nariyuki.

"Yeah!" agreed Uruka enthusiastically.

I smiled. "Alright." From anyone else, I would probably take it as nothing more than empty platitudes, but from these two always had a way to keep me optimistic. "Sorry for bringing down the mood."

"No probs, Fuminocchi. If anything, I was the one who put messed up by bringing it up. Let's move on to other topics!"

"Got any other stories?"

"Too many to keep track of," Uruka said with a smile.

* * *

With a hearty thud, my husband placed Uruka's suitcase on the wooden dresser of our guestroom. An action which seemed to bring a little life into the somewhat dull room. It was quite a large room, and although furnished with all of the necessities, seemed a little too spare on most days, so seeing the sign of some life present in it was a boon in my eyes.

Walking in with wide eyes, Uruka said in awe, "Wow. I vaguely remember visiting your house a few times in high school, but I didn't know even your guestrooms were this nice. I don't think this place would lose to some of the hotels I've stayed in."

"Well, welcome to the Yuiga Inn then," I pronounced cheekily beside her with a mock bow.

"Hmmm, hmmm. What kind of services could I expect?"

"Free food. Clean showers. Massages by our master masseuse."

"Urk— I'm guessing Nariyuki hasn't lost his touch?"

"Noope," I replied with a smirk.

"Okayyy… Guys, can we not discuss one of my most embarrassing household skills?"

"Why? It's one of the reasons I married you."

"…I'm not sure how to feel about that," Nariyuki exclaimed. Stretching his arms upwards, he then cracked the bones in his shoulders a few times. "I guess we're having dinner late today, unless anyone's already hungry?"

Both Uruka and I shook our heads in response.

Nodding, he then walked out of the room with a small wave. "I'll go get the bath ready for you, Uruka. If anybody needs me, just yell!" he called out casually from the hallway.

I turned towards Uruka and was surprised to find her staring silently into the hallway, her mouth set in a completely neutral line. "Uruka?" I called out. Receiving no response, I gently shook her shoulder. "Uruka?"

"Oh." She blinked a few times. Finally meeting my gaze, she apologized, "Sorry about that, thought I saw something weird."

Okay… Odd. "Right. Well, I'll let you get settled in first. I got some work to do first, but if you need me, I'll be in the living room. Just cone whenever."

"Coolios." Uruka nodded with a smile. To my surprise, she then grabbed both of my hands in hers. "Thanks again, Fumino."

I was unable to answer immediately, a little shook by the strength in her words. For a few moments, we just stared silently at each other before my bearings finally decided to return from their impromptu vacation. "No problem, anything for a friend," I said simply with a smile.

She slowly released my hands, returning my smile with one of her own. "Still, thanks."


End file.
